Thoughts on 1 Corinthians 10: 18-21 (verse at the end).
What sacrifices are the pagans making that I am partaking in?
Ie who is not a true believer in my life? (Obedience and trust in God vs self reliance and not being truly repentant to the point that you’re willing to change as He guides. See Matthew 7 verses below)
What is being offering as a means of receiving a remedy of security, comfort, justification or sense of well being that isn’t truly from God that I am partaking in?
It may not be obvious. It most likely isn’t. What am I doing, how am I acting, what am I saying, what words am I using, what am I focusing the most on? What am I spending the most time on? What am I spending the most money on? What am I talking about the most?
I’d wager it might even have to be something discerned through the good from the best. (See Mary and Martha at Jesus’s feet). The enemy loves to masquerade as an angel of light. Ie false teachers or even well intentioned advice or books or other people… fact check very very very hard against the Word of God.
What is taking my eyes off Jesus? It is my rights and comfort or His will and depending on Him? What is keeping me from showing and sharing the gospel?
What have I intentionally grown accustomed to, justify, don’t see as that big of a deal that is actually spiritual warfare and I’m eating mental, emotional, spiritual poison?
1 Corinthians 10:18-21 ESV
“Consider the people of Israel: are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.”
““Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves. So by their fruits you will know them.
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’ Then I will declare to them solemnly, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.’
Matthew 7:15, 20-23 NABRE
https://bible.com/bible/463/mat.7.15-23.NABRE
Food for thought but ask for discernment from the Holy Spirit and decide with Him if you agree. Please feel free to share other resources as well:
“How to Distinguish A True Christian From a Hypocrite”: